I love a quick, easy and delicious dish. This recipe fits the bill just perfectly. I absolutely love scallops, but if they are not your thing you can always use shrimp or cube your favorite firm white fish to fit this easy and tasty recipe. I topped mine with a little Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper at the end. Oh so delicious.

First, start with rinsing your scallops (sometimes they can have a little bit of sand on them), pat dry well and season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet (I used my porcelain lined cast iron skillet, my most favorite pan ever) heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil until it “shimmers” and is hot enough to sear the scallops. Working in batches without crowding, add the scallops and sear until nicely browned on each side.

With a slotted spoon, remove the scallops from pan and place in bowl. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, allow to melt. Add in the shallots, allow to soften and brown a little bit, about 5 minutes. At the end add in the lemon zest and thyme. Give it a good stir and let it sauté for about 1 minute.

Add in the artichoke hearts, let them get a little brown, about an additional 1-2 minutes. It is hard to find frozen artichoke hearts like I used (which by the way I found at Whole Foods), so if you can’t find the frozen, just use canned that are canned in water.

While the pasta is cooking, add the lemon juice and chicken broth to the fry pan and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

Simmer slightly until thickened. Drain the pasta well and add it to the pan. Add the scallops and any juices that have accumulated from them, then add the capers and pine nuts. Toss over low heat to finish cooking the scallops and mix the ingredients, about 1-2 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a warmed large, shallow bowl. Add the arugula leaves and gently toss. I just put the arugula in each individual bowl and topped it with the pasta mixture. I liked the crunch of the arugula vs. it wilting, but either will be delicious. Enjoy this simple dish.

Easy, fresh and delicious. Just make sure that you rinse your scallops. You can't really go wrong with plump, sweet and yummy sea scallops.

Author: Melissa Cusano

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ pound large sea scallops

Salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup olive oil

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Leaves from 2 or 3 large fresh thyme sprigs, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 (on the larger side) shallots, minced (about ¾ cup)

1½ cups artichoke hearts (if frozen make sure they are thawed)

1-pound angel hair pasta

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup chicken broth

¼ cup capers

½ cup lightly toasted pine nuts

1 large bunch arugula, washed (I think I used a bit more as I used the pre-packaged arugula salad package)

¼ cup ca;ers, preferably

Instructions

Rinse the scallops and dry well with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare a large sauté pan, add the ¼ cup of olive oil until hot. In batches without crowding, add the scallops and sear until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes total. Once all scallops are browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and shallots to the pan. Saute until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the artichoke hearts and sauté for an additional minute or so. Add in the lemon zest and thyme. Stir to incorporate.

While the pasta is cooking, add the lemon juice and chicken broth to the pan with the shallot mixture, deglazing the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

Simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain the pasta well and add it to the pan. Add the scallops and any juices that have accumulated, simmering until the scallops are cooked through. Add in the capers and pine nuts.

Toss over low heat and mix the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

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